Train’s Pat Monahan: ‘We Are Like Journey in Many Ways’

Musician Pat Monahan of the band Train performs on stage at Collaborating For A Cure 16th annual benefit dinner and auction at Park Avenue Armory on November 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation)

By Brian Ives

A few weeks back, Pat Monahan of Train stopped by the Radio.com studios (look for the full-length interview in the next few weeks), and it happened to come right after the announcement of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction class. When suggested that he might be the guy to present Journey — both Journey and Train are Bay Area bands who have enjoyed lots of radio support, while not doing as well with rock critics — Monahan pointed out that he’s actually a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voter. “Of course, I voted for Journey.” And yesterday, we learned that on April 7 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Monahan will, in fact, be presenting Journey at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“Journey was really important to me,” he said. “I feel like we are like Journey in some ways, where we’ve been on the radio for so long that we are so loved and so disliked by whatever the variation of people. It’s very polarized, but I think that’s what it takes, because as my manager says, ‘Hated or loved, but never ignored.’ So I feel like we’re a similar thing as Journey.”

He also knows some of the guys in the band: “I know [keyboardist] Jonathan [Cain], and [former singer] Steve Perry has sat with me before. I hope they get together for this. I hope Steve comes in and sings with them. I’m not sure if Steve can sing like he used to. And I’m not sure if they have good blood or bad blood, but they both have told me their stories, and they don’t match. There’s always three stories, right? Yours, mine, and the truth. So hopefully they’ll sort it out.”

If asked, would he perform with the band?

“Of course. I would be honored,” he said, noting that one of his favorites is “Feelin’ That Way,” from 1978’s Infinity.